The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 18

It probably wasn’t too happy, Yun Chuanzhi thought guiltily, noticing a rare expression of frustration on the puppet’s crude features for the first time.

Yet it obediently replied, “Yes, Master.”

Blackie is such a good boy. This is perfect. Yun Chuanzhi nodded in satisfaction, placing Blackie on her shoulder as she headed out for dinner. Under the moonlit night, Yun Chuanzhi chattered incessantly as she descended the steps.

He spoke of whatever came to mind—Avici City, the Qianyuan Realm, Mount Everlasting—telling the puppet everything.

He dared not confide in others, but the puppet, ever loyal and dutiful, was a rare companion who would listen.

Though Blackie’s voice was sweet, she was remarkably taciturn. Yun Chuanzhi would ramble on for a dozen sentences before receiving a single reply, her composure so steady it was hard to tell who was the master.

Still, Yun Chuanzhi was content with little. Having someone listen to her was already a blessing. She continued talking until her throat grew parched, only falling silent when the moonlight faded into the mountains and all was still, her voice hoarse as she drifted to sleep.

Before she knew it, Yun Chuanzhi had been at the Kun Dan Sect for over a month. The Immortal Servants initially saw her as nothing more than Bai Fenghuo’s amusing little slave, ostracizing her openly. But now that she had firmly established herself, they dared not show their hostility so openly.

Yet behind her back, scandalous rumors continued to circulate, even to the point of being compiled into secret booklets that were passed around in the shadows.

Yun Chuanzhi, mingling among the Immortal Servants, couldn’t help but overhear some of these tales. However, she had never cared for empty praise and paid them no mind, focusing instead on enjoying good food, maintaining a regular routine, and living a carefree life.

The recent days had been particularly pleasant, with continuous rain falling from dawn till midnight, and then from midnight till dawn. The rhythmic patter of the rain lulled her into a drowsy state, and with Bai Fenghuo bedridden and having dismissed all her attendant servants, Yun Chuanzhi’s days became even more leisurely.

Her daily tasks were minimal, leaving her ample time to admire the scenery and indulge in naps.

While others shunned the damp, sticky weather and refused to venture outside, Yun Chuanzhi relished it. She often sat beneath an ancient tree at the edge of a cliff, gazing at the boundless sea of clouds stretching into the distance and the fresh green leaves nearby, embodying the spirit of a wandering crane.

One day, she slept until noon. After lunch, she took up a bamboo-leaf umbrella and strolled to the cliff’s edge, settling into a rattan chair. Blackie silently held a large umbrella over her head.

No wonder people say a broad mind leads to a plump body. After a month of solid eating and sleeping, Yun Chuanzhi’s previously gaunt frame had visibly filled out. Though still slender compared to the average person, her chest now had a defined curve, and her cheeks were soft enough to pinch.

Her skin, constantly moisturized by the humid air, had become smoother and fairer. Sitting in the rattan chair with her hair in a bun, swaying gently, she looked every bit the vibrant sixteen-year-old girl she was.

She was dozing with her eyes closed when she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps. Her almond-shaped eyes snapped open, meeting the gaze of a drenched woman.

“Big Dog!” The newcomer was Cheng Jinshu, whom she hadn’t seen in a month. She was still wearing her orange-red round-collared shirt, though the cuffs were frayed and her face looked haggard.

Yet her voice remained as loud as a trumpet as she reached down and lifted Yun Chuanzhi off the ground. “How strange! You’re still alive!”

What kind of talk is that? Yun Chuanzhi thought. Did she expect me to be dead? With her feet dangling in the air, she had no choice but to pat Cheng Jinshu’s hand, signaling her to put her down.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen a living soul in weeks. I got a little carried away,” Cheng Jinshu chuckled, releasing her grip and leaning closer. “I’m just shocked you’ve managed to survive this long under my aunt’s thumb.”

“Is your aunt going to eat me or something?” Yun Chuanzhi couldn’t help but ask.

“Almost as bad,” Cheng Jinshu replied, waving her hand dismissively. The mere mention of Bai Fenghuo’s name brought a flicker of fear to her eyes. “Forget her past deeds—even in recent years, not a single Immortal Servant who attended her closely has survived more than five days.”

That’s an exaggeration, Yun Chuanzhi thought, her eyes widening slightly.

“Why would I lie to you?” Cheng Jinshu pressed on, her words tumbling out in a rush, not even waiting for Yun Chuanzhi to respond. “My aunt is notorious for her cruelty and ruthlessness. That’s why I’m so curious—how have you managed to survive this long?”

The question stumped Yun Chuanzhi. She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

Cheng Jinshu gazed at Yun Chuanzhi, her bright eyes curving into a smile. “Or could it be that the forbidden rumors circulating within the sect about you and her are actually true?”

Forbidden rumors? Yun Chuanzhi froze, taking the small booklet Cheng Jinshu offered and flipping through it.

After only two pages, her neck flushed crimson. She shoved the booklet back into Cheng Jinshu’s hand, shaking her head vehemently. “Stop joking! Put this away immediately! If the Sect Leader sees these lewd poems, she might wipe out the entire Kun Dan Sect!”

“Don’t worry,” Cheng Jinshu said, spreading her hand. The booklet in her palm instantly transformed into a saucer-like flame, which rapidly burned to ashes. “The cultivators of Mount Everlasting have countless tricks up their sleeves. There are countless secret booklets like this one, and they vanish as soon as someone reads them. I guarantee it won’t be discovered.”

Yun Chuanzhi finally relaxed. Though she hadn’t written the story herself, she knew Bai Fenghuo was capable of implicating her if she ever saw it.

Yun Chuanzhi sat back down, and Blackie, still holding the umbrella, shook its short arms. The rainwater accumulated on the umbrella cascaded down like a curtain, drenching Cheng Jinshu, who was already soaked, until she looked like she’d just crawled out of a pond.

“Um… do you want to…”

“Thank you,” Cheng Jinshu said, darting under the umbrella before Yun Chuanzhi could finish. With no rattan chair available, she sat on a few tree roots, bowing her head to wring out her wet clothes.

This woman was such an optimist, still smiling even in this state, as if she didn’t feel the cold at all. Yun Chuanzhi signaled Blackie to tilt the umbrella further, offering her more shelter from the rain.

Silence settled around them, broken only by the sound of rain and the rushing water below the cliff. Yun Chuanzhi closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Just as Yun Chuanzhi was beginning to drift off, Cheng Jinshu, unable to bear the silence, spoke up again. “Oh, is that a puppet? Since my grandmaster’s death, no one on Mount Everlasting has been able to craft puppets anymore.”

Yun Chuanzhi caught the key point in her words, her drowsiness vanishing. “Sect Leader Mingcun also knew the Puppet Technique?” she asked, surprised.

“Puppet Technique? That’s a gross understatement of my grandmaster’s skills. In her prime, she was the most renowned Artifact Refinement cultivator in the world. It’s just that the art of Artifact Refinement has declined, so few remember her mastery now.”

Cheng Jinshu continued, “You’ve often been by my aunt’s side, so you must have seen her Iron Puppet. My grandmaster personally crafted it for her when Aunt joined Mount Everlasting.”

The woman gazed at the distant mountain ridges shrouded in rain and mist, a faint smile on her face, her expression distant. “By then, I had already become my Master’s disciple. Aunt arrived even later than I did. She disliked the strict seniority rules among cultivators, so I simply called her ‘Aunt.'”

“Her bone structure was exceptional, and her talent was extraordinary. She could grasp any cultivation method or incantation at a glance. Yet her personality was gentle and radiant, making her utterly endearing. She charmed my grandmaster so completely that the old woman treated her like a precious treasure, cradling her as if she might shatter if dropped, or melt if held too tightly. To outsiders, they seemed more like mother and daughter. My Master was often jealous, harboring resentment for years.”

“Who was that delicate and radiant girl? Bai Fenghuo?” Yun Chuanzhi stared at Cheng Jinshu for a long moment, confirming she hadn’t misheard.

Could that ruthless Scumbag Sect Leader, who killed and beat people on a whim and harbored such deep-seated malice, have once possessed such a gentle nature in her youth?

“Looking back, that whole act was probably just a facade,” Cheng Jinshu said, as if reading her mind, her face twisting with hatred. “It’s all her fault for being such a convincing actress. Her true nature only surfaced now.”

If it was all an act, it makes sense, Yun Chuanzhi nodded in agreement. After a moment of silence, she broke the quiet. “Where have you been these past few days? Why are you in such a state?”

And as a cultivator, why aren’t you even using a water-repelling spell? Letting yourself get drenched in the rain.

A hint of embarrassment flickered across Cheng Jinshu’s face. She reached down to touch the frayed cuff of her sleeve, explaining sheepishly, “After sending you to Mount Everlasting, I had a falling out with my fellow disciples. My junior brother ended up having decades of her cultivation crippled. Sect Leader Liao, her master, was furious and punished me by sending me to the Demon Smelting Cave to refine demons.”

“So, after a month in there, I’m so exhausted I can barely muster any spiritual energy.”

Yun Chuanzhi felt a pang of guilt, realizing she was the cause of Cheng Jinshu’s predicament. She was about to apologize when Cheng Jinshu chuckled, “Don’t worry about it. I sent you there for my own amusement anyway. Who knew we’d run into those bastards?”

“You knew all along I wasn’t Liu Dagou, didn’t you?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, her gaze fixed on Cheng Jinshu.

“I’ve seen your forbidden secrets. How could I not know your real name?” Cheng Jinshu waved dismissively. “Besides, what’s the difference between Liu Dagou and Cui Ergou? They’re both equally awful.”

Both names are equally awful, Yun Chuanzhi thought, lowering her eyes. She secretly vowed to find a way to reclaim her true name.

Regardless, Yun Chuanzhi felt a damp, guilty weight in her heart, like she’d been caught in a downpour. She considered herself an ordinary person: she repaid those who wronged her a hundredfold, but when someone showed her kindness, she was at a loss for how to respond.

Tomorrow, I’ll steal extra Bl00d Pills from Bai Fenghuo and give them to Cheng Jinshu as an apology, Yun Chuanzhi resolved silently.

“But if you’re a disciple of the Soaring Dust Sect Leader, why have you fallen so low?” Yun Chuanzhi asked bluntly.

Cheng Jinshu’s smile froze. After a moment, she rubbed her hands together, plastered a cheerful smile on her face, and changed the subject. “I wonder how long this rain will last. It’s so cold.”

Since she didn’t want to talk about it, Yun Chuanzhi didn’t press further. She tilted her head back to watch the rain fall like a million needles piercing the sky.

“It’s been raining for twelve days straight, and there’s no sign of it stopping,” Yun Chuanzhi said. Though she loved rainy days, she also missed the sun. This relentless downpour was starting to wear on her.

“Twelve days?” Cheng Jinshu turned to her in surprise, a strange look in her eyes. “But look—the main peak of Mount Everlasting isn’t getting any rain.”

Yun Chuanzhi followed her gaze to the golden roof of the main hall on Mount Everlasting’s peak, shrouded in clouds. Though dark clouds covered it, there was indeed no rain falling there. She could even see faint rays of sunlight peeking through the clouds.

This was truly bizarre. Sensing something was amiss, Yun Chuanzhi cast a questioning look at Cheng Jinshu.

Cheng Jinshu blinked, a knowing smile spreading across her face. “It seems you don’t know,” she said. “Each peak of Mount Everlasting has its own Mountain Spirit, and each spirit recognizes a master.”

“Therefore, the weather on these five peaks is inextricably linked to the state of mind of their respective Sect Leaders. Continuous overcast skies indicate that the Sect Leader’s heart is clouded with darkness.”

So that’s how it works, Yun Chuanzhi thought, pointing a finger at the sky. “Then, since it’s raining now, does that mean the Sect Leader is crying?”

Bai Fenghuo crying? What could she be crying about?

Cheng Jinshu nodded at her, about to speak, when a bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky. Yun Chuanzhi sensed danger and swiftly pulled Cheng Jinshu out from under the ancient tree.

The lightning pierced the sky and rain, striking the tree with a deafening crack. By the time the thunder rumbled through the air, the lush, ancient tree had been reduced to a charred, blackened husk.

Still shaken, Yun Chuanzhi stared in stunned silence for a long moment before finally murmuring, “Then what does the lightning and thunder mean now?”

Cheng Jinshu remained silent for a long time before answering, “I think Auntie must have… cried herself unconscious.”